


Morale

by AnaVakarian



Series: Beyond reason [3]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Battle, Crying, Evfra is hurt, F/M, Final Battle, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Gruffiness, Grumpy Evfra, Meridian, Porn with Feelings, Regret, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Space Battles, Stress Relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:53:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22899070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaVakarian/pseuds/AnaVakarian
Summary: Right before Meridian's battle, Sara is not in her best hours. After spending some time in the tavetaan, Evfra comforts her when she confesses her deepest fears regarding the fight to come.I made two versions of this same story: the premise and the beginning are the same. However, at the end of the first one, rational Evfra wins the battle to his desires. On the second version, there's shameless smut.Just pick your favourite version to read.
Relationships: Evfra de Tershaav & Female Ryder | Sara, Evfra de Tershaav/Female Ryder | Sara
Series: Beyond reason [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639225
Comments: 21
Kudos: 91





	1. Version 1

**Author's Note:**

> Version 1 (Chapter 1): gentleman Evfra. Teen and up audiences.  
> Version 2 (Chapter 2): NSFW (smut warning). Explicit.
> 
> You choose!

The _tavetaan_ was loud, excited as it hasn’t been for a very long time: crowds of Angaras packed the place to the brim, blowing some steam in front of the battle that both, the Resistance and the Initiative, were to fight shortly. It would shut soon in order to give everyone the needed rest before the battle but, for the time being, the interaction and moderate amounts of alcohol were good for the troop’s mental frame, as he had been able to confirm many times before. 

With all of them in high spirits, Evfra had decided to drop by after a long shift at the HQ. Not that he was thrilled about the social and festive atmosphere in the pub but, strategically speaking, he wanted to show his soldiers that they were all at the same level in that war. Ready for defeating once and for all that _skkuting_ bastard that had kept his people suffering for so long. Ready to end that nightmare that the Kett had been, together.

Knowing as well as he knew her, Evfra was not surprised that the Pathfinder had also shown up, together with Jaal and some of her crewmates. With a mere tilt of their head as a salutation, the whole group strode towards the barman, ordering some human - and probably disgusting - drinks that made his lip snarl in disgust and his throat burn with the memory of the strong alcohol taste. 

The datapad in his hand beeped, requiring his attention, pulling him back from the taste of the _tequila_ shot Jaal invited him to after rescuing the Moshae. Evfra’s stomach churned and he tried to wash the feeling down with a sip of the sweet _tavuum._

“Hahahahaha! There’s no way he said that to you… Stop it!” Evfra’s eyes darted back up in annoyance with the scream: the Asari called Peebee laughed flirty with his still Lieutenant while pushing his arm playfully. He couldn’t help but throw her a frozen glare in response to her loud brittle voice. That glare would have been enough to make any of his recruits pee in their pants and the alien group lowered their volume immediately, pressured by Jaal, who was fully aware of the Resistance´s leader irritation growing as the seconds went by. 

He was still staring when the human known as Liam sneaked her arm bluntly around Jaal’s waist. A disagreement grunt rumbled in his chest recalling the conversation with the Pathfinder regarding that _issue_ : he was happy for Jaal but, in his opinion, having formal couples inside the same squad had never worked out. What would they do in case the Pathfinder was at real risk? Who would their priority be? Ryder merely replied that she would never summon them together for the same mission… Surprisingly, her words didn’t give him any peace of mind.

His eyes kept studying the group, jumping from the Asari, to the Humans and the Krogan that leaned at the bar. Evfra was not fully aware of what he was searching until he found the warm amber eyes of an unusually very quiet Pathfinder meeting his.

Her red lips curled up into a thin smile, catching him on his gazing, but it was not as natural, nor as teasing as it had always been before. And her eyes didn’t reflect it, either.

His Commander uttered some words about ammunition that took Evfra off their bold staring contest. _Skkut_ , he had actually been staring at her for too long, he should focus back on the preparations. 

Work first. 

Always.

After one hour ignoring the world around him, one more drink and one crucial battle strategy finalized, he finally turned his datapad off, realizing that the _tavetaan_ was nearly empty and the music had stopped. A few stray Angaras waved goodbye to him and others made the formal Resistance salutation before leaving. His eyes longed towards the bar where the alien group had been before, but they were all long gone, too. 

Evfra sighed, surprised at the feeling of disappointing and mild concern for the human leader. Well, his feeling recognition was still working, after all, proving he was still Angara. Even if it was his conscious decision to push any other trait down and bottle all his feelings up consciously.

“Misha, I think we're done here. You can go home. Have a rest and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to his Commander.

“Thanks, Evfra. Don’t stay up until late,” the greenish Angara advised with a knowing expression.

He would. Not in the _tavetaan_ , though. The tactic had to be reviewed: he wouldn’t be able to sleep until every little thread was tied up, perfectly synchronized and memorized. Evfra grabbed his datapad and finished his _tavuum_ before transferring the credits for his drink to the bartender, who wished him good luck for the fight tomorrow. The door opened with a quiet hiss and the Angara led his steps towards his house in the residential area close to the Resistance HQ. 

The night was cool and starry as beautiful as they always were in Aya: the breeze smelled of sweet flowers and clear water. A subtle perfume that would always linger in his memory, whatever the outcome of the battle was the day after. Defeat was not an option but, in case he wouldn’t make it alive, he would treasure every precious moment in that city.

However, he didn’t get far before he spotted a female human shape partially cloaked in shadows and hidden from plain view, leaning on the viewpoint handrail. He would recognize her orange hair and probably the curves of the Pathfinder’s body anywhere at that point. 

What was she doing there that late? 

Evfra stopped on his tracks, considering his options: he could remain quiet and resume his steps, ignoring her presence; or he could ask if she was alright… He didn’t want to interrupt whatever she was doing, though.

But the scales tipped to the second option when, after her subtle sniffing sound, she dried up some of the tears that seemed to plague her face. “ _This is just professional concern,”_ Evfra though. If he repeated those words for long enough, he would end up believing them. 

“Ryder?” he asked from a safe-enough distance, trying not to startle her. 

His subtleness didn’t work, though.

“Shit! Evfra! What the fuck?” She turned around, rubbing the back of her hands against her eyes swiftly, pretending she was composed. “What are you doing?”

Evfra didn’t move a muscle to get any closer or any further, either. He just stood awkwardly, gripping his datapad and asking himself that same question. 

“Are you alright?” Brilliant and eloquent. The answer was obvious. 

She scoffed. A bitter smile lingered on her lips, delaying the answer. “Will you believe me if I say _yes_?”

“Obviously not… Are you drunk?” he asked, recovering his mettle.

The Pathfinder chuckled this time at his bewilderment. An honest but weak laugh. “Not enough I think, as I’m feeling quite embarrassed right now. Do you cry? Angaras, I mean...” Her eyes were glassy and oddly red when she stared at him with the usual intensity.

Evfra finally decided to slowly bridge the distance between them, leaning also on the balcony handrail. “No, we don’t. Angaran bioelectricity makes the same function, though. Extreme sadness or happiness, am I right?” 

“A sort of stress relief for me…” 

“In any case, nothing to be embarrassed about...” he replied with a low rumble. 

Ryder showed him a grateful smile. Then, she left his eyes, focusing on the burning horizon of the planet instead.

Evfra was used to comfort his troops during difficult times: consoling them after a loss, after a defeat or in front of a difficult mission. But this was different: she was a leader, as well as he was, and he didn’t know how to act. Since he had been leading the Resistance, he had never allowed anyone nearby when his feelings overwhelmed him. It happened many times since he had that responsibility, but he had made sure no one was around when he had to scream in distress, or when his bioelectricity spiked with sorrow, or regret, or fear. 

Her breath was steadier now and Evfra suddenly realized that they had never been that close to each other before. Never. His field grew unsettling with the thought, although he immediately got a grip on it, turning it into something softer, soothing. And he was sure she perceived it because the stiffness on her shoulders relaxed slightly.

During the compassionate quietness, he studied her in the corner of his eye: her orange hair up and twisted over her head in a sort of knot, leaving the whole length of her neck exposed. The freckles that sprinkled her face went down her skin as a constellation of minute stars than competed in beauty with Aya’s sky, disappearing under the boundary that the collar of her oversized white t-shirt made. 

“Evfra… what if… What if we don’t win?” she asked with a hoarse voice, sucking air in between clenched teeth. “What if I fail?”

She cried again, shedding tears quietly, not looking at him.

And he saw himself so many times reflected in that pain. In her suffering. In her doubts and in her responsibility.

The angaran leader grabbed her chin, turning and tilting her head up to meet his eyes. “Sara, you are not alone. We are fighting for our freedom together. The Resistance and the Initiative. You and me. _We won’t lose._ ” 

His gloved finger dried the path of tears on her cheeks delicately, feeling the warmth of her skin underneath them. Her brown-amber eyes never left his starry blue ones while he performed the task thoroughly. Evfra realized then how his field had completely surrounded her and how intimate that moment was. 

He wished he would have had someone like her comforting him during his rough patches. His hard decisions as a leader. He wished he would have had _her._

Evfra’s left hand caressed her cheek in a mix of curiosity and wonder when her tears were gone. Although she still smelt salty and flowery. Sara’s eyes spoke her longing: eyes he would willingly drown into. 

The proximity was maddening. The warmth of her body next to him. Her sweet breath.

His thumb reached the edge of her lower lip and she parted them, inviting.

He needed more. He wanted more than a mere touch with his finger. He wanted to explore her lips with his. Taste her. Breathe her.

Her warm eyes locked in his with want.

Evfra closed the distance between them.

His lips hoovered hers, sharing the same sweet breath…

But Evfra never got to touch them. 

He backed off from her mouth, resting his forehead on hers instead. Evfra could feel her body shaking, a mild disappointment that she didn’t dare to put into words. “ _Fool. You damn old fool…_ ” 

With his forehead still on hers, breathing the same air, he tousled her hair softly. Then, they broke apart when he slid his hands to her shoulder.

Ryder was hurt. She could perfectly see his rejection in her amber eyes. “Why?” she simply asked in a whisper.

 _Stars_ knew the answer... “I… will not take advantage of this situation. You are emotional...”

She snorted and shook her head, immediately turning on her heels towards the handrail. The silence stretched in between them once again while Ryder took in his words.

What did he want from her? He had a duty to his people... To the Resistance. He promised himself he would never let himself feel again. Not after his family… his _taoshay_ …

Who was he trying to trick? He already worried about that fierce stubborn human settled next to him. The denial was pointless.

But easier, though.

“I should be heading back…” she said, detaching herself from the handrail without looking at him. 

It hurt.

“Good.” But it felt wrong to finish their conversation that way. His hand reached for her, delaying her departure. “Sara…. I just want you to know that I will be there tomorrow. That I have your back. And I will gladly give my life to protect you. To finish the Archon. We will be victorious.”

Her eyes met his briefly and she tossed him a flick of a smile. An honest one. No scorn. No hard feelings. Just gratitude and mild understanding. 

“Thanks, Evfra,” she simply said before leaving his side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time! This chapter was finishing in a wild and crazy 'this might be our last chance' sex night, but I changed my mind in the last minute. However, the idea is still nestled deep in my brain, so I might need to blurt it out soon in the form of a second chapter that will give an alternative version from after the kiss.  
> So... Survey: would you like to read some smut or I should I end it up as it is now? Opinions are welcome!  
> ***  
> Don't forget to leave kudos if you liked it. Or if you want more ❤❤❤  
> ***  
> Follow me on Tumblr  
> [AnaVakarian](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/anavakarian)


	2. Version 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW ahead. Smut warning.

The _tavetaan_ was loud, excited as it hasn’t been for a very long time: crowds of Angaras packed the place to the brim, blowing some steam in front of the battle that both, the Resistance and the Initiative, were to fight shortly. It would shut soon in order to give everyone the needed rest before the battle but, for the time being, the interaction and moderate amounts of alcohol were good for the troop’s mental frame, as he had been able to confirm many times before. 

With all of them in high spirits, Evfra had decided to drop by after a long shift at the HQ. Not that he was thrilled about the social and festive atmosphere in the pub but, strategically speaking, he wanted to show his soldiers that they were all at the same level in that war. Ready for defeating once and for all that _skkuting_ bastard that had kept his people suffering for so long. Ready to end that nightmare that the Kett had been. Together.

Knowing as well as he knew her, Evfra was not surprised that the Pathfinder had also shown up, also with Jaal and some of her crewmates. With a mere tilt of their head as a salutation, the whole group strode towards the barman, ordering some human - and probably disgusting - drinks that made his lip snarl in disgust and his throat burn with the memory of the strong alcohol taste. 

The datapad in his hand beeped, requiring his attention, pulling him back from the taste of the _tequila_ shot Jaal invited him to after rescuing the Moshae. Evfra’s stomach churned and he tried to wash the feeling down with a sip of the sweet _tavuum._

“Hahahahaha! There’s no way he said that to you… Stop it!” Evfra’s eyes darted back up in annoyance with the scream: the Asari called Peebee laughed flirty with his still Lieutenant while pushing his arm playfully. He couldn’t help but throw her a frozen glare in response to her loud brittle voice. That glare would have been enough to make any of his recruits pee in their pants and the alien group lowered their volume immediately, pressured by Jaal, who was fully aware of the Resistance's leader irritation growing as the seconds went by. 

He was still staring when the human known as Liam sneaked her arm bluntly around Jaal’s waist. A disagreement grunt rumbled in his chest recalling the conversation with the Pathfinder regarding that _issue_ : he was happy for Jaal but, in his opinion, having formal couples inside the same squad had never worked out. What would they do in case the Pathfinder was at real risk? Who would their priority be? Ryder merely replied that she would never summon them together for the same mission… Surprisingly, her words didn’t give him any peace of mind.

His eyes kept studying the group, jumping from the Asari, to the Humans and the Krogan that leaned at the bar. Evfra was not fully aware of what he was searching until he found the warm amber eyes of an unusually quiet Pathfinder meeting his.

Her red lips curled up into a thin smile, catching him on his gazing, but it was not as natural, nor as teasing as it had always been before. And her eyes didn’t reflect it, either.

His Commander uttered some words about ammunition that took Evfra off their bold staring contest. _Skkut_ , he had actually been staring at her for too long. He should focus back on the preparations. 

Work first. 

Always.

After one hour ignoring the world around him, one more drink and one crucial battle strategy finalized, he finally turned his datapad off, realizing that the _tavetaan_ was nearly empty and the music had stopped. A few stray Angaras waved goodbye to him and others made the formal Resistance salutation before leaving. His eyes longed towards the bar where the alien group had been before. But they were all long gone, too. 

Evfra sighed, surprised at the feeling of disappointing and mild concern for the human leader. Well, at least his feeling recognition was still working, after all, proving he was still Angara. Even if it was his conscious decision to push any other trait down and bottle all his feelings up consciously.

“Misha, I think we're done here. You can go home. Have a rest and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to his Commander.

“Thanks, Evfra. Don’t stay up until late,” the greenish Angara advised with a knowing expression.

He would. Not in the _tavetaan_ , though. The tactics had to be reviewed: he wouldn’t be able to sleep until every little thread was tied up, perfectly synchronized and memorized. Evfra grabbed his datapad and finished his _tavuum_ before transferring the credits for his drink to the bartender, who wished him good luck for the fight tomorrow. The door opened with a quiet swoosh and the Angara walked towards his house in the residential area close to the Resistance HQ. 

The night was cool and starry as beautiful as they always were in Aya: the breeze smelled of sweet flowers and clear water. A subtle perfume that would always linger in his memory, whatever the outcome of the battle was the day after. Defeat was not an option but, in case he wouldn’t make it alive, he would treasure every precious moment in that city.

However, he didn’t get far before he spotted a female human partially cloaked in the shadows and hidden from plain view, leaning on the viewpoint handrail. He would recognize her orange hair and probably the curves of the Pathfinder’s body anywhere at that point. 

What was she doing there that late? 

Evfra stopped on his tracks, considering his options: he could remain quiet and resume his steps, ignoring her presence; or he could ask if she was alright… He didn’t want to interrupt whatever she was doing, though.

But the scales tipped to the second option when, after her subtle sniffing sound, she dried up some of the tears that seemed to plague her face. “ _This is just professional concern,”_ Evfra though. If he repeated those words for long enough, he would end up believing them. 

“Ryder?” he asked from a safe-enough distance, trying not to startle her. 

His subtleness didn’t work, though.

“Shit! Evfra! What the fuck?” She turned around, rubbing the back of her hands against her eyes swiftly, pretending she was composed. “What are you doing?”

Evfra didn’t move a muscle to get any closer or any further, either. He just stood awkwardly, gripping his datapad and asking himself that same question. 

“Are you alright?” Brilliant and eloquent. The answer was obvious. 

She scoffed. A bitter smile lingered on her lips, delaying the answer. “Will you believe me if I say _yes_?”

“Obviously not… Are you drunk?” he asked, recovering his mettle.

The Pathfinder chuckled this time at his bewilderment. An honest but weak laugh. “Not enough I think, as I’m feeling quite embarrassed right now. Do you cry? Angaras, I mean...” Her eyes were glassy and oddly red when she stared at him with the usual intensity.

Evfra finally decided to slowly bridge the distance between them, leaning also on the balcony handrail. “No, we don’t. Angaran bioelectricity makes the same function, though. Extreme sadness or happiness, am I right?” 

“A sort of stress relief for me…” 

“In any case, nothing to be embarrassed about...” he replied with a low rumble. 

Ryder showed him a grateful smile. Then, she left his eyes, focusing on the burning horizon of the planet instead.

Evfra was used to comfort his troops during difficult times: consoling them after a loss, after a defeat or in front of a difficult mission. But this was different: she was a leader, as well as he was, and he didn’t know how to act. Since he had been leading the Resistance, he had never allowed anyone nearby when his feelings overwhelmed him. It happened many times since he had that responsibility, but he had made sure no one was around when he had to scream in distress, or when his bioelectricity spiked with sorrow, or regret, or fear. 

Her breath was steadier now and Evfra suddenly realized that they had never been that close to each other before. Never. His field grew unsettling with the thought, although he immediately got a grip on it, turning it into something softer, soothing. And he was sure she perceived it because the stiffness on her shoulders relaxed slightly.

During their quietness, he studied her in the corner of his eye: her orange hair was up and twisted over her head in a sort of knot, leaving the whole length of her neck exposed. The freckles that sprinkled her face went down her skin as a constellation of minute stars than competed in beauty with Aya’s sky, disappearing under the boundary that the collar of her oversized white t-shirt made. 

“Evfra… what if… What if we don’t win?” she asked with a hoarse voice, sucking air in between clenched teeth. “What if I fail?”

She cried again, shedding tears quietly, not looking at him.

And he saw himself so many times reflected in that pain. In her suffering. In her doubts and in her responsibility.

The angaran leader grabbed her chin, turning and tilting her head up to meet his eyes. “Sara, you are not alone. We are fighting for our freedom together. The Resistance and the Initiative. You and me. _We won’t lose._ ” 

His gloved finger dried the path of tears on her cheeks delicately, feeling the warmth of her skin underneath them. Her brown-amber eyes never left his starry blue ones while he performed the task thoroughly. Evfra realized then how his field had completely surrounded her and how intimate that moment was. 

He wished he would have had someone like her comforting him during his rough patches. His hard decisions as a leader. He wished he would have had _her._

Evfra’s left hand caressed her cheek in a mix of curiosity and wonder when her tears were gone. Although she still smelt salty and flowery. Sara’s eyes spoke her longing: eyes he would willingly drown into. 

The proximity was maddening. The warmth of her body next to him. Her sweet breath.

His thumb reached the edge of her lower lip and she parted them, inviting.

He needed more. He wanted more than a mere touch with his finger. He wanted to explore her lips with his. Taste her. Breathe her.

Her warm eyes locked in his with want.

Evfra closed the distance between them.

His lips hoovered hers, sharing the same sweet breath…

The first contact was subtle, just a delicate brush that expired in between shaky doubtful breaths. After their fleeting kiss, Evfra rested her forehead on hers with a concealed sigh, caressing her skin cautiously with a soft bioelectric field. With a feeling of uncertainty about that whole approach, he came back to reality, stepping back on his usual over-analyzation habit: there was nothing he wanted more than kissing her again. But he shouldn’t… He couldn’t, could he? That night he wanted to fall into oblivion with that woman that had inevitably drawn him with her strength and compassion. Against all odds...

Before he could make up his mind about what would be correct and his head would, once again, gain that stupid and pointless battle against his heart, Sara dragged him into another tentative kiss that spoke of her need and her want and Evfra could do nothing rather than give in to her plea. Before he could realize, he had involuntarily parted his lips, his tongue dancing with hers. Teasing her. Tasting her.

Who was he trying to fool? He wanted it to happen. This could be their last night alive. Did they need any other excuse? 

The passion and the need roared in his guts: feelings he had always kept tightly under control were about to break free. The Resistance leader gave up to her will and to his own hidden desires. His hand fisted in her hair, pulling her for another kiss, demanding her lips for himself, and she moaned in his mouth. His breath accelerated and his bioelectricity washed over them when her small hands clung on his suit, pulling him even closer. Her warmth was mesmerizing as well as the way her small body adapted to him. 

He wanted more. A kiss was not enough. Not that night. Would he dare to ask?

Finally, Evfra pulled back, grabbing one of her hands and moving it to his lips, kissing her gloved palm. “Perhaps we should go somewhere else. My house is nearby if you want to carry on _this_ on a more… private way.” His tone was darkened with lust and his breathing grew sharp, insecure about her answer.

“Yes… I’d like that,” Ryder said in a husky whisper while his gloved hand ran over her cheek and up to her hair, caressing the soft orange strands. 

They didn’t talk on the way there: they were too many things unsaid and too many unfulfilled desires. But he held her hand tightly as a promise of what would happen during the battle. The perspective was grim and their future, certainly uncertain. Their lives literally hung on a thread. But that night was a night to forget. A night to get lost in each other. A farewell night.

Ryder reached back for him at the moment he shut his door close. Her kiss was not delicate this time, but fierce and passionate, and it took him completely offside. The deepness and heat of her tongue, the delicate silk of her mouth, the little mewls she emitted at the back of her throat were more than enough to drive him mad and to make him really hard. Evfra grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her up, pinning her against the closed door with a growl. He flexed his hips into hers while his hands slid to grab her bottom for support and she whimpered at the motion. Satisfied with the outcome, he rocked slowly in her, pinning her harder, feeling the satisfying pressure of her centre on his already swollen seam. Evfra was drinking her body with a thirst that he hadn’t felt for years and Sara seemed to be answering in those same terms, with his same need, aching for his touch. 

“Are you gonna fuck me with our clothes on, Evfra? At least I was hoping to see you naked… On a bed perhaps?” she teased him when he lowered his lips to her neck, nipping and biting her all the way down to her crevices. 

He growled at her sarcasm, but she was right: there were no excuses to fuck her senseless against his door, even if that was exactly what his groin was screaming for. So, he decided to turn around and walked with her in his arms towards his bedroom. Without any ceremony, but a last quick kiss, he dropped her on his bed. “Clothes off. Now,” he ordered, still standing up, beginning to fumble with the buckles of his own shoes. That would be more efficient than trying to undress each other for sure and he didn’t feel he had the patience to do that. Not that night.

Ryder nibbled at her lower lip when he shoved his gloves off, her eyes roaming over the delicate blue skin of his hands with curiosity “Straight to the point, ey?” she joked smugly, gaining a playful glance back. She stood in front of him, her amber eyes locked in his, challenging, mirroring his undressing: she only took her shirt and bra off when he was done with his _rofjiin_ and his uniform top. And the same procedure was followed for their trousers and her underwear. 

They stood naked in front of each other, studying their bodies with curiosity and hunger, exploring their differences and similarities. Her body was thin and lean but yet her muscles could be discerned under her creamy skin colouration, especially on her abdomen and arms. The mystery of the constellation of freckles that had caught his attention during so many months was finally unravelled: they travelled down her body, reaching her breasts and covering her arms and her legs, too. She had scars that spoke of her as a warrior: a nasty one on her right thigh, a burn mark on her right shoulder and the unequivocal shadow of two shots over her stomach, plus different cuts and bruises in different stages of recovery. But he was not the only one studying his opponent with heated need. Sara’s amber eyes roamed his own gradient skin nipping at her lower lip and Evfra couldn’t avoid feeling vulnerable when they lingered from the many scars that marked his body, heavily scarring the left side of his chest, abdomen and legs. 

However, she darted her arm forwards, running a hand over them, soothing. She didn’t seem displeased with the sight although Evfra was perfectly aware that she was containing her natural curiosity after the cutoff he gave her some months ago about going over his ' _personal profile'_. But that was not the time. Definitely not. ‘I will tell you about them… But not now.’ His voice was rough and low, but there were true honesty and compromise in his words and Sara smiled in return. Evfra ran a bare hand over her scalp then, pulling at her hairband and letting her hair cascade around her features. Then, he caressed the soft orange strands with devotion, examining the odd keratin fibres and its softness with his fingers thoroughly. 

Sara giggled. ‘I can’t believe I’m fully naked in front of you and your whole attention is on my head…’

And Evfra did something then. Something he hadn’t done in a while. He chuckled. A sincere laugh, meaning relaxed amusement at her comment. It had been a while since he had actually laughed... 

However, she had the point and he finally decided to pioneer, sliding his hand down her neck and her left breast, tracing the underline of it delicately with his index. Her skin was warm and softer than he could have imagined and the Angara noticed how the small dusky bud on the middle beaded into a taut point. It immediately attracted his curiosity and Ryder’s breathing fastened with anticipation. When Evfra cupped her breast, running his thumb over that bead steadily, massaging and tracing small circles, Sara moaned, her eyes intently fixed on his with unconcealed desire. 

Reaching for him once more, she pulled him into a passionate kiss, her hands running along his back and down to his buttocks, giving them a squeeze. Before he was fully aware of what she was intended to do, Evfra found himself spun around, falling into a seated position on his bed. With a smug smile and a curtain of orange hair tingling over his broad shoulders, the Pathfinder’s sat on his lap and his hands grabbed onto her hips for support.

They kissed fervently, panting in each other’s mouth, feeling the passion and the pressure of the need building up again. Evfra’s hands didn’t leave an inch of her skin unattended, roaming from her back to her breasts, her muscular thighs and her abdomen with his rough touch on a delicate caress. She whimpered when he neared the area in between her legs, running a teasing finger along the outside of her folds, avoiding her cleft on purpose. She was wet, as he had the chance to check, feeling the clear slick liquid that dampened his index. Her hips had begun to move on a rocking motion, inviting, and there was nothing he wanted more than burying himself in her body.

“Evfra, please…” she begged against his mouth. 

The pressure of his erection was starting to make it difficult to remain sheathed anymore. “Please, what…?” he smugly asked before occupying his mouth on lapping and nipping at her nipple, gaining a new whimper from her.

“I want you to fuck me…” she replied, lowering a hand to trail his already swollen and wet seam, feeling his member aching to spring out to her attentions. Evfra gasped, but he wanted to keep the foreplay going. And having her begging to be fucked was just delicious.

“Not yet,” he said, authoritatively, removing her hand, planting another kiss on her palm. “What brings you pleasure?” 

She smirked. “I was nearly sure you have done some research already…” 

A low rumble came from his chest and Evfra used his thumb to trace some small circles over her clit, making her gasp. “And I did… with scientific purposes mainly. But I don’t have any field experience in this matter,” he whispered.

Sara’s breath became laboured and she began to rock slightly. Obviously, she didn’t dislike his performance. “Fuck… You are doing a good job, for now, just keep it up. And…” she stopped herself to moan when he directed some of his bioelectricity towards that hand. “Oh, god! That’s a neat trick… Internal also feels good. Just curved your fingers in and put pressure on the inner wall…”

Following her instructions, his fused fingers began to tease her entrance slightly, dipping in and out, letting her get used to their size. _Stars_ help him, she was loudly moaning in his mouth when he slipped them further in and her heat was tantalizing. But her tightness and slickness… He had read about human flexibility and had no doubt they would be compatible with some foreplay for sure and he was also glad that his bioelectricity was a plus. 

After some minutes of delicate motions, he buried his fingers to the hilt in her, curving them to reach that sweet spot he had enquired about, and started to rub her bud again. Sara’s tightness was growing clearly now, her nails digging harder into the skin of her shoulders. She begged him to speed up but he didn’t: if her body worked as angaran females did, the orgasm would be more pleasurable that way. At some point, she had stopped kissing him and was just breathing harshly into his mouth. Before her climax broke, she went really still and quiet, arching her back on an impossible angle. Then, she shattered and it was the most beautiful thing he had seen in a long time. Trembling and moaning his name, her sex clenched around his fingers as he guided her in her orgasm with slow and lazy strokes until her head fell limp over his shoulder. Watching her falling over the edge had been more than enough for him to fully unsheathe. Evfra ran a lazy hand along her back, delighted with the feeling of the perspiration sheer that covered her skin. 

A sneaky finger tracing the underside of his erection pulled him out of his focus and he groaned when her warm hand fisted him, pumping delicately and spreading his own slick all over his cock. She raised her head from his shoulder, her full-of-lust eyes fixed in his, playful. Sara kissed softly the scarred and extra sensitive side of his mouth, nipping at his lower lip after. “You don’t need time to recover?” Evfra breathed out on a husky voice, his eagerness growing again, white heat growing in his lower belly with her motions. 

She shook her head with a wanton smile and a new tight pump of her hand and Evfra lost control. He grabbed her waist and removed her brusquely from his knees, laying her on her back. She spread her legs wider to accommodate his frame and Evfra settled on her, one elbow next to her head, supporting his weight, the other fisting her hair and tugging slightly to kiss her jaw and her neck. 

Her hands roamed the creases of his cowl and his shoulders and his bioelectricity sparkled over them in anticipation, out of control, when he finally left her hair to guide himself to her entrance. Evfra failed in finding it twice until Sara brushed his hand away with impatience, grabbing his cock and shifting her hips slightly, one leg hooked around his hip. The heat and the tightness surrounded him when he finally sank in her. He pushed his hips slowly and delicately forwards until he found the resistance of her body and Sara bit his lip in response with a pleasured cry. Evfra rolled his hips against hers, sliding in slow and controlled thrusts, each of them pulling a gasp out of her.

“Harder,” she moaned, and he obliged, speeding up the tempo gradually, being rougher with each thrust. 

Soon, his senses were lost in the molten heat of her body, her smell and her sounds. Before he could realize, both her legs were anchored around his waist, demanding more, and he was slamming fast and hard into her while circling again with his thumb that small bundle of nerves on the apex of her legs, feeling her walls tightening even more around his pulsing cock.

Her body shimmered on the bed, covered with perspiration, and he knew that her climax was close again when she craned her head back, falling unusually quiet. She shuddered when the ecstasy invaded her body, crying out his name. Looking at her beautiful climax, he felt completely undone too, riding out his more than necessary release with a low groan, slamming into her until the last remains of pleasure dissipated.

His legs felt tired and shaky and Evfra dropped by her side, his possessive arm circling her body and pulling her closer while catching their breaths back.

It had been perfect: messy and rough and tentative. Liberating. Why didn't they do it before? What did he stop himself so many times? How stupid and pointless it sounded… 

It might be too late, now.

Sara traced the line of his scars with his fingers, her eyes half-lidded until she finally accommodated herself next to him. Evfra covered them with a blanket, just assuming she would stay for the night. He was also exhausted himself. She was probably asleep when he cuddled her tightly and whispered with drowsiness “I have your back, Sara. Everything will be alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One knows how to keep a promise. I hope you enjoyed :)  
> ***  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to leave kudos if you liked it. Or if you want more ❤❤❤  
> ***  
> Follow me on Tumblr  
> [AnaVakarian](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/anavakarian)


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